Diarrhea often makes the body lose a lot of body fluids. In more severe conditions, diarrhea is able to make sufferers dehydrated. But not to worry, because there are some natural diarrhea medicines that you can use at home as first aid.
There are many factors that can cause diarrhea, such as from viral or bacterial infections, food poisoning, lactose intolerance, suffering from diseases of the digestive tract, and side effects of drugs.
Based on the duration of the process, diarrhea can be divided into two types, namely acute diarrhea, and chronic diarrhea. Acute diarrhea is often harmless because it only lasts for 1-2 days due to infection or food poisoning. While chronic diarrhea is considered more dangerous because it lasts more than 14 days and can indicate a serious digestive disorder.
The longer diarrhea lasts, especially if accompanied by difficulty eating and drinking, it can cause dangerous dehydration.
Handling of diarrhea is recommended to be done as soon as possible so as not to get worse and interfere with daily activities. To relieve diarrhea, you can use the following natural diarrhea medicines:
Oral rehydration fluid
Oral rehydration liquid containing electrolytes is ORS. ORS is the recommended type of liquid, the consumption of this liquid is one glass each time diarrhea or vomiting, as well as drinking a minimum of 1.5 liters of water per day. But for diarrhea sufferers who have a history of kidney disease, fluid intake must be limited. Therefore, consult your doctor before consuming additional fluids.
Yogurt
Probiotics are live bacteria that are present in certain foods, such as yogurt. Probiotics function to maintain the health of the digestive tract and protect these organs from bacterial or viral infections. Some examples of probiotics include Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Saccharomyces boulardii.
Ginger
Ginger is also believed to be one of the natural diarrhea medicines, because ginger has antibacterial properties that are useful to prevent the growth of bacteria that cause diarrhea, such as E.coli and Salmonella. In addition, ginger is also able to reduce nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. To get the benefits of ginger, you can use it as a mixture to make tea.
Chamomile tea
A study revealed chamomile tea is believed to be a natural remedy for diarrhea because it can relieve inflammation and repair intestinal damage. This is because chamomile tea has anti-diarrhea and anti-inflammatory properties that are useful for keeping the intestine healthy and can soothe intestinal cramps.
It’s just that this allegation is still not supported by adequate clinical research results, because it is still needed further studies to ensure the efficacy and safety of chamomile tea as a natural diarrhea medicine.
BRAT
BRAT stands for Banana, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. BRAT is a recommended diet to reduce symptoms of diarrhea. With BRAT, the stool will become denser. This is because BRAT has a low fiber content. It’s just that this diet is not recommended to be done continuously, because the BRAT diet is low in fiber, protein, and fat. Therefore, after recovering from the diarrhea disease you are encouraged to immediately eat foods that are highly nutritious, such as fruits, vegetables, and meat.
Diarrhea is generally caused by a viral infection or food intolerance, so giving antibiotics for diarrhea is not recommended. Inappropriate use of antibiotics can actually aggravate diarrhea because it helps kill off good bacteria in the intestine, as well as potentially creating bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
In addition to using natural remedies for diarrhea, you are also advised to avoid consumption of alcohol and caffeine, gas-containing vegetables such as cabbage or broccoli, and fatty and spicy foods. If diarrhea does not go away after self-care, you should immediately consult a doctor to get further treatment.
